Some 9 million people have been forced from their homes in war-torn Syria, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), having been exposed to violence and unremitting fighting. Many now remain within the borders with no home to go to and no possessions. There are over 3 million refugees, three quarters of them being women and children, seeking safety and shelter across neighboring countries. Many are living in flimsy cramped makeshift shelters. The vast majority of fleeing families arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs. Many are injured from continuous bombing and shelling. They have no regular food and no income. Men, women and children are suffering through no fault of their own. They are in desperate need of emergency shelter and other lifesaving supplies. ShelterBox is responding.

So far ShelterBox has sent aid to support over 5,000 families in Syria, Iraqi Kurdistan, Lebanon and Jordan. But many thousands more need our help today. Our ShelterBox Response Teams are working to assist the most vulnerable families.

The need for protection is critical and we are aiming to provide shelter and supplies for a further 5,000 families over the coming months - we urgently need your help today.

What started out as a peaceful protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the southern Province of Deraa in March 2011 has degenerated into a regional interethnic civil war. The growing violence, sectarian tensions and economic hardship are forcing more and more Syrian families from their homes.